Around marketing automation, there are many misconceptions that discourage some companies from using this effective tool. Let’s break down the most popular myths and take a look at the most important facts about marketing automation!
One of the most common myths that have grown up around marketing automation is the one related to its intended use only for large companies. This is not true, definitely! Small and medium-sized enterprises that operate on the Internet can also benefit from automation.
These tools are perfect for the initial stages of a business when it is necessary to build a customer base. The automation allows developing companies to quickly and effectively work out repetitive activities and increase the effectiveness of campaigns. Meanwhile, in companies with an established position, the implementation of changes may prove to be much more difficult. However, regardless of the size of the company, investment in modern technologies is now inevitable if we want to stand out from the competition.
Marketing automation allows companies in many industries to collect behavioural and transactional data about their customers. These, in turn, can be used to conduct not only automated but above all strictly tailored to the needs and expectations of the customer’s marketing campaigns in various channels. This translates into visible benefits. What kind of benefits? According to the VentureBeat report, 80% of marketing automation users reported an increase in the number of leads and 77% reported an increase in conversions. Moreover, as Nucleus Research has shown, as a result of the application of automation, sales efficiency increases by 14.5% and marketing costs are reduced by 12.2%.
Although the use of marketing automation systems is not a very complicated task, it does not mean that after their configuration, you can easily forget about them, while expecting exceptional results.
In fact, effective campaigns are those that are constantly tracked and managed. Starting the adventure with automation, it is better to first test the simplest scenarios, thanks to which it will be easier for us to interpret customers’ purchasing preferences. Along with gaining valuable knowledge, it is worth configuring further elements of the systems, thus expanding communication with the customer. However, it is always important to monitor the conducted activities and, if necessary, modify them in response to changes in customer behaviour.
While email is a key component of any marketing automation campaign, the same techniques can also be applied to other communication channels and marketing strategies. These include telephone and SMS campaigns, social media activity, content marketing and sales lead management systems.
The automation of marketing, as well as any other promotional activity, should always be individually adjusted to the needs of a given company and the business objectives adopted by it. Only such a combination is a guarantee of success.